Selection Committee Interview

It’s not easy narrowing down the countless applications for Berlinale Talents each year. On their final day of selection, we chatted with the selection committee – Rebecca de Pas (Italy), Marcie Jost (Germany), Kevin Murphy (USA) and Ana Zamboni (Mexico) – about their findings.

Could you tell us a little bit about your selection process?

Ana: We’ve spent the past two months carefully looking at all of the submitted samples and profiles. Altogether we went through 2,711 applications from 127 countries, which we narrowed down to 250 participants.

What’s the best part of the job?

Rebecca: Each year we look forward to discovering new trends in global filmmaking. We receive applications from every corner of the world, which really allows us to take the pulse of what’s happening internationally.

Kevin: I especially enjoy watching the filmmakers’ development over the years. They often apply several times before they’re accepted, and it’s great to see how they’ve grown. It’s also fascinating to see how formal and technical innovations evolve in different regions of the world.

Rebecca: Berlinale Talents is also very unique in its scope. Other events might only invite directors or producers, but we invite filmmakers from all disciplines. As a result, our Talents are truly diverse and from extremely varied backgrounds, both geographically and stylistically.

Were there any noticeable themes or trends this year?

Marcie: Yes, we noticed a lot of films focusing on coming-of-age stories – this was conspicuous across all regions.

Ana: Also, this year we achieved an equal gender balance. In the past, the distribution was often about 60% men, 40% women. We’re really pleased that we received so many strong applications from women from all disciplines this year.